Repentance and by consequence is incurable To speak against the Son of man that is against the doctrine Disciples ways servants of Christ looking on him only as a man the leader of a Sect as master of a new way which was Pauls notion of Christ and Christian Religion when he persecuted it and for which cause he found mercy for had he done that knowingly which he did ignorantly it had been a sin uncapable of mercy Acts 26.9 1 Tim. 1.13 thus to sin is a blasphemy that may be pardoned but to speake against the Spirit that is to oppose and persecute the doctrine worship ways servants of Christ knowing them and acknowledging in them a spiritual Holiness and eo nomine to do it so that the formal motive of malice against them is the power and lustre of that spirit which appeareth in them and the formal principle of it neither ignorance nor self-ends but very wilfulness and Immediate malignity Woe be to that man whose natural enmity and antipathie against Godliness do ever swel to so great and daring an height It shall not be forgiven him neither in this world nor in the world to come Matth. 12.32 That is say some neither in the time of life nor in the point or moment of death which translates them unto the world to come Others not in this life by Iustification nor in the world to come by consummate Redemption and publick judiciary absolution in the last day which is therefore called the Day of Redemption in which men are said to finde mercy of the Lord Ephes. 4.30 2 Tim. 1.18 For that which is here done in the Conscience by the ministery of the Word and efficacy of the Spirit shall be then publickly and judicially pronounced by Christs own mouth before Angels and men 2 Cor. 5.10 Others Shall not be forgiven that is shall be plagued and punished both in this life and in that to come Give me leave to add what I have conceived of the meaning of this place though no way condemning the Expositions of so great and learned men I take it By This world we may understand the Church which then was of the Iews or the present age which our Saviour Christ then lived in It is not I think insolent in the Scripture for the words Age or World to be sometimes restrained to the Church Now as Israel was God's First-born and the first fruits of his increase Exod. 4.22 Ierem. 31.9 Ier. 2.3 So the Church of Israel is called the Church of the First-born Hebr. 12.23 and the first Tabernacle and a worldly Sanctuary Hebr. 9.1.8 and Ierusalem that now is Gal. 4.25 And then by the World to come we are to understand the Christian Church afterwards to be planted for so frequently in Scripture is the Evangelical Church called the World to come and the last dayes and the ends of the world and the things thereunto belonging Things to come which had been hidden from former ages and generations and were by the ministery of the Apostles made known unto the Church in their time which the Prophets and righteâ—us men of the former ages did not see nor attain unto Thus it is said In these last dayes God hath spoken to us by his Son Heb. 1.1 And Unto Angels he did not put in subjection the world to come Heb. 2.5 and Christ was made an high Priest of good things to come Heb. 9.11 and The Law had a shadow of good things to come Heb. 10.1 and the times of the Gospel are called Ages to come Ephes. 2.7 and the ends of the world 1 Cor. 10.11 Thus legal and Evangelical dispensations are usually distinguished by the names of Times past and the last dayes or times to come Hebr. 1.1 Ephes. 3.9 10. Colos. 1.25 26. The one an Earthly and Temporary the other an Heavenly and abiding administration and so the Septuagint render the Originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isa. 9.5 Everlasting Father which is one of the Names of Christ by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Father of the world to come The meaning then of the place seems to be this That sinnes of high and desperate presumption committed maliciously against known light and against the evidence of Gods Spirit as they had no Sacrifice or expiation allowed for them in the former world or state of the Iewish Church but they who in that manner despised Moses and his Law though delivered but by Angels died without mercy Numb 15.27 30 31. Hebr. 2.2 3 3. so in the World to come or in the Evangelicall Church though grace should therein be more abundantly discovered and administred unto men yet the same Law should continue stil as we finde it did Hebr. 2.2 3 4 5. Hebr. 6.4 5 6. Hebr. 10.26 27 28. neither the open enemies of Christ in the one nor the false professors of Christ in the other committing this sin should be capable of pardon This doctrine of Apostacy or Back-sliding is worthy of a more large explication but having handled it formerly on Hebr. 3.12 I shall add but two words more First that we should beware above all other sins of this of falling in soul as old Eli did in body backward and so hazarding our salvation if once we have shaken hands with sin never take acquaintance with it any more but say as Israel here What have I to do any more with Idols The Church should be like Mount Sion that cannot be moved It is a sad and sick temper of a Church to tosse from one side to another and then especially when she should be healed to be carried about with every winde Secondly We should not be so terrified by any sin which our soul mourns and labours under and our heart turneth from as thereby to be withheld from going to the Physician for pardon and healing Had he not great power and mercy did he not love freely without respect of persons and pardon freely without respect of sins wee might then be affraid of going to him but when he extendeth forgivenesse to all kindes iniquity transgression sin Exod. 34.6 and hath actually pardoned the greatest sinners Manasses Mary Madalen Paul Publicans harlots backsliders we should though not presume hereupon to turn Gods mercy into poyson and his grace into wantonness for mercy it self will not save those sinners that hold fast sin and will not forsake it yet take heed of despairing or entertaining low thoughts of the love and mercy of God for such examples as these are set forth for the incouragement of all that shall ever beleeve unto eternall life 1 Tim. 1.16 And the thoughts and wayes which God hath to pardon sin are above our thoughts and wayes whereby we look on them in their guilt and greatnesse many times as unpardonable and therefore are fit matter for our faith even against sense to beleeve and rely upon Isa. 55.57 58. Now followeth the Fountain of this Mercy I will leve them freely Gods love is
should not win us that judgment should not awaken us that the rod should speak and we not hear Mic. 6.9 That the fire should burn and we not feel Isa. 42.25 That desolation should be threatned and we not instructed Jer. 6.8 That the hand of God should be lifted up and we not see it Isa. 26.11 That darkness should be upon us we not give glory to God Jer. 13.6 This is that should most deject us that in mercies we have been wanton and in judgments sensless Get Repentance by an affliction and then you may look on it as trafick and not as a trouble like a Merchants voyage which hath pain in the way but treasure in the end No afflictions can hurt him that is penitent If thou escape they will make thee the more thankful if not they will bring thee the neerer and the sooner unto God The way to be safe in times of trouble is to get the blood of the Lamb upon our doors All troubles have their Commission and Instructions from God what to do whither to go whom to touch whom to pass over Be gold and though the fire come upon you you shal keep your nature and purity still Godliness saith the Apostle hath the promises of this life amongst those one special one is that we shall not be tempted above what we are able 1 Cor. 10.13 neither are there indeed any distresses against which there is not a refuge and escape for penitent sinners unto some promise or other Against Captivity When they be in the land of their Enemies I will not cast them away nor abhorre them Levit. 26.44 Against famine and pestilence If I shut up heaven that there be no rain or if I command the locust to devoure the Land or if I send pestilence among my people If my people which are called by my Name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked wayes then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and wil heal their Land 2 Chron. 7.13.14 Against sicknes the Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing and make all his bed in his sicknes Psa. 41.3 Against poverty When the poor and needy seek water and there is none I the Lord will hear them c. Isa. 41.17 Psal. 68.10 Against want of friends When my father and mother forsake me then the Lord will take me up Psal. 27.10 Psal. 72.12 Against oppression and imprisonment He executeth judgement for the oppressed he looseth the prisoners Psal. 146.7 Against whatsoever plague or trouble 1 King 8.37.38 39. He is the God of All consolation how disconsolate soever a mans condition is in any kind there cannot but within the compasse of All consolation be some one or other remedy at hand to comfort and relieve him And so much by the way of the Invitation in generaâ—l In the Invitation we have the Matter of it and the Motives to it The Matter is Conversion without that the hand which is lifted up in threatning will fall down in punishing and where that is God hath a book of Remembrance for his Iewels when his wrath burneth as an Oven against the stubble Mal. 3.16 But this Conversion then must have two conditions in it 1. It must be Ad Dominum To the Lord not meerly philosophicall to some low and generall dictates of Reason such as Aristotle or Plato or Epictetus or Plutarch or the like heathen Moralists could furnish us withall without self-deniall lowlinesse of spirit or faith in Christ. Not meerly politicall to credit or profit or secular ends propter famam non propter Conscientiam as the Orator speaks or as our Prophet hath it for Corn and for wine Hos. 7.16 as good be an empty vine as bring forth fruit onely to our selves Hos. 10.1 But it must be spirituall unto the Lord. If thou wilâ— return O Israel saith the Lord return unto me Ier. 4.1 And not onely Ad Dominum to the Lord for that may be done falsely and flatteringly with a halting and divided heart By the force of Semi-perswasions like that of Agrippa and Orpha complementing with God and then forsaking him By the force of compulsory impressions like that of Pharaoh and Israel in the wildernes Promises on the Rack and pride when there was respite again thawing in the Sun and freezing in the shade melting in the â—urnace and out of it returning unto hardnes again like the Prophets Cake burnt on the one side and dough on the other But it must be Secondly usque ad Dominum so much the originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 importeth A full through constant continued conversion with a whole a fixed a rooted an united an established heart yeilding up the whole Conscience and Conversation to be ruled by Gods will in all things The motives to this duty are two First his Mercy he is yet thy God no such argument for our turning unto God as his turning unto us Adam looks on him as a Iudge and hides the Prodigall looks on him as a father and returns As the beam of the Sun shining on fire doth discourage the burning of that so the shining of Gods mercies on us should dishearten and extinguish lust in us This is the use we should make of mercy Say not he is my God therefore I may presume upon him but he is mine therefore I must return unto him Because he is God I will be afraid to provoke him and because he is mine I will be afraid to forfeit him He is so great I must not dare to offend him he is so pretious I must not venture to lose him His mercy is a Holy mercy which knows to pardon sin but not to protect it It is a Sanctuary for the penitent not for the presumptuous Secondly his judgement and that expressed rather as our Act then his Thou hast fallen by thine iniquity If mercies do not work upon Love let Iudgements work upon fear Extremities are a warrant unto Importunities Even heathen mariners in a storm wil cry mightily upon God When there is a deluge coming is it not time for Noah to fear and to prepare an ark Hebr. 11.7 what meanest thou O thou sleeper to losâ— the season and benefit of Gods visitations when there is a tempest over the ship heavy distresses and distractions both at home and abroad to be so secure in thy wonted impenitency as if thou hadst had no sins to procure these judgements or no sence to feel them as if there were agreements and sealed covenants between thee and the sword that it should not touch thee If thou be falling is it not high time to consider thy wayes to search and to judge thy self to have thine eyes like the windows of Solomons Temple Broad inwards to find out thine own provocations and as David speaks to keep thy self from Thine owne iniquity
leaven that defile our Passeovers and urge God to passe away and depart from us these the obstructions between his sacred Majesty and you and between both and the happinesse of the Kingdome Think seriously what wayes may be most effectual to purge out this leaven out of the Land The principall sacrificing knife which kils and mortifies sin is the Word of God and the knowledge of it It would have been a great unhappinesse to the Common-wealth of Learning if Caliguâ—a 〈◊〉 as he endevoured deprived the world of the writings of Homer Virgil and Livy But O! what an Aegyptian calamity is it to have in this Sun-shine of the Gospel thousands of persons and families as I doubt not but upon inquirie it would appear without the writings of the Prophets and Apostles A Christian souldier without his sword a Christian builder without his rule and square a Christian calling without the instruments and ballances of the Sanctuary belonging to it O therefore that every Parish had an indowment â—it for a learned laborious and worthy Pastor and Pastors worthy of such endowments that provision were made that every family might have a Bible in it and if by Law it might possibly be procured the exercises of Religion therewithall this would be the surest Magazine to secure the happinesse of a Kingdome that all reproachfull titles which the devill useth as scarcrows and whiâ—lers to keep back company from pressing in upon Christs Kingdome were by Law proscribed That scandalous sins were by the awfulnesse and severity of Discipline more blasted and brought to shame That the Lords house were more frequented and his day more sanctified and his Ordinances more reverenced and his Ministers which teach the good knowledge of the Lord more encouraged then ever heretofore In one word that all the severall fountains of the Common-wealth were settled in a sound and flourishing constitution That in every place we might see Piety the Elme to every other Vine the supporter to every other profession Learning adorned with Piety and Law administred with Piety and Counsels managed with Piety and Trade regulated with Pietie and the Plow followed with Pietie That when Ministers fight against sin with the sword of Gods Word you who are the Nobles and Gentry of the Land would second them and frown upon it too a frown of yours may sometimes do as much service to Christ as a Sermon of ours And he cannot but take it very unkindly from you if you will not bestow your countenance on him who bestowed his blood on you That you would let the strictnesse of your lives and the pietie of your examples put wickednes out of countenance and make it appear as indeed it is a base and a sordid thing If we would thus sadly set our selves against the sins of the Land no power no malice no policies should stand between us and Gods mercies Religion would flourish and peace would settle and trade would revive and the hearts of men would be re-united and the Church be as a City compacted and this Nation would continue to be as it hath been like the Garden of Eden a mirrour of prosperity and happinesse to other people and God would prevent us in the second part of our Petition with the blessing of goodnesse as soon as ever iniquity were removed he would do us good which is the second thing here directed to pray for Receive us graciously In the originall it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Take good to wit to bestow upon us so Taking is sometimes used for Giving He received gifts for men so in the Psalm he gave gifts to men so in the Apostle and it is not improbable that the Prophet here secretly leadeth us to Christ the Mediatour who first receiveth gifts from his Father and then poureth them forth upon his Church Act. 2.23 The meaning then is Lord when thou hast pardoned weakned mortified sin go on with thy mercy and being in Christ graciously reconciled unto us give further evidence of thy Fatherly affection by bestowing portions upon us They shall not be cast away upon unthankfull persons we will render the Calves of our lips they shal not be bestowed upon those that need them not or that know where else to provide themselves It is true we have gone to the Assyrian we have taken our horses instead of our prayers and gone about to finde out good we have been so foolish as to think that the Idols which have been beholden to our hands for any shape that is in them could be instead of hands and of God unto us to help us in our need but now we know that men of high degree are but a lie that horses are but a vanity that an Idol is nothing and therefore can give nothing That power belongeth unto thee none else can do it That mercy belongeth unto thee none else will do it therefore since in thee only the fatherlesse find mercy be thou pleased to do us good We will consider the words first absolutely as a single prayer by themselves Secondly relatively in their connexion and with respect to the scope of the place From the former consideration we observe That all the good we have is from God he only must be sought unto for it we have none in our selves I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good Rom. 7.18 we can neither think nor speak nor do it And missing it in our selves it is all in vaine to seek for it in things below our selves They can provide for our back and belly and yet not that neither without God the root out of which the fruits of the earth do grow is above in heaven the Genealogy of Corn and Wine is resolved into God Hose 2.22 But if you go to your Lands or Houses or Teasuries for physick for a sick soul or a guilty conscience they will all return an Ignoramus to that enquiry salvation doth not grow in the furrows of the field neither are there in the earth to be found any Mines or harvests of Grace or Comfort In God alone is the fountain of life he that only is good he only doth good when we have wearied our selvs with having recourse to second causes here at last like the wandering Dove we must arrive for rest Many will say who will shew us any good Do thou lift up the light of thy countenance upon us Psal. 4.6 From him alone comes every go O gift Iam. 1.17 whether Temporall it is his blessing that maketh the creature able to comfort us The woman touched the hem of Christs garment but the vertue went not out of the garment but out of Christ Luk. 8.44 or whether Spirituall sanctified faculties sanctified habits sanctified motions glorious relations in Predestination Adoption and Christian Liberty excellent gifts heavenly comforts all and onely from him And that without change and alteration he doth not do
Eyes what reason have we to be humbled for this unstedfastnesse of our Hearts from whence the diffluence and loosenesse of every other faculty proceeds 2 If we must bewail the falsenes of our Hearts that stand in need of Covenants how much more should we bewail their perfidiousnesse in the violation of Covenants That they take occasion even by Restraint like a River that is stopped in his course to grow more unruly Or as a man after an Agâ—e which took away his stomack to return with stronger appetite unto sin again To crucifie our sins and in repentance to put them as it were to shame and then to take them down from the Crosse again and fetch them to life and repent of Repentance To vow and after vows to make inquirie Prov. 20.25 This is a very ill requitall unto Christ. He came from glory to suffer for us and here met with many discouragements not onely from enemies but from friends and Disciples Iudas betrayes him Peter denies him his Disciples sleep his kinsfolks stand afarre off yet he doth not look back from a Crosse to a Crown and though he be tempted to come down from the Crosse yet he stayes it out that he might love and save us to the uttermost but wee no sooner out of Egypt and Sodome but we have hankering affections to return at the least to looke backwards again Engage our selves to be ruled by the Word of the Lord as the Jews did Ier. 42.5 6. and with them Ier. 43.2 When wee know his Word cavill against it and shrinke away from our owne resolutions O how should this humble us and make us vile in our own eyes God is exceeding angry with the breach of but Hâ—mane Covenants Ier. 34. 18. Ezek. 17.18 How much more with the breach of Holy Covennants between himself and us and threatneth severely to revenge the quarrell of his Covenant Levit. 26.25 and so doubtlesse he now doth and will do still except we take a penitent Revenge upon our selves for it And therefore Lastly having entred into Covenant we should use double diligence in our performance of it Quickning and stirring up our selves thereunto 1 By the consideration of the stability of his Covenant with us even the sure mercies of David Isa. 54.8 9.55.3 To break faith with a false person were a fault but to deceive him that never fails nor forsakes us increaseth both the guilt and the unkindnesse 2 By consideration of his continued and renewed mercies If he were a wildernesse unto us there might be some colour to repent us of our bargain and to look out for a better service But it is not onely unthankfulnesse but follie to make a forfeiture of mercies and to put God by our breach of Covenant with him to break his with us too Ier. 2.5 6 7.31 Numb 14.34 Ion. 2.8 3 By consideration of our Baptisme and the tenor thereof wherein we solemnly promise to keepe a good conscience and to observe All things whatsoever Christ commandeth us 1 Pet. 3.21 Mat. 28.19 20. From which engagement wee cannot recede without the note and infamie of greater perfidiousnesse To take Christs pay and do sin service to be a subject unto Michael and a pensioner unto the Dragon to weare the Liverie of one Master and do the work of another to be an Israelite in title and a Samaritan in truth this is either to forget or to deride our Baptisme 2 Pet. 1.9 for therein wee did as it were sâ—bscribe our names and list our selves in the Register of Sion and as it is an high honour to be enrolled in the genealogies of the Church so is a great dishonour to be expunged from thence and to be written in the Earth and have our names with our bodies putrifie into perpetuall oblivion Ierem. 17.13 Nehem. 7.64 65. 4 Consider the seale and witnesses whereby this Covenant hath been confirmed Sealed in our own consciences by the seale of faith beleeving the Holâ—nesse of Gods wayes and the excellencie of his Rewards for he that beleeveth hath set to his seale Joh. 3.33 mutually attested by our spirits feeling the sweetnesse of dutie and by Gods spirit revealing the certainty of Reward Rom. 8.16 and this in the presence of Angels and Saints into whose communion wee are admitted 1 Corinth 11.10 Hebr. 12.22 so that wee cannot depart from this Covenant without shaming our selves to God to Angels to men and to our own consciences Yea the Font where we were baptized and the Table where we have sacramentally eaten and drank the body and blood of Christ the very seats where we have sate attending unto his voice like Ioshua his stone cap. 24.22 27. will be witnesses against us if we deny our Covenant though there be no need of witnesses against those who have to do with the searcher of hearts and the Judge of consciences that consuming fire whom no lead no drosse no reprobate silver no false metall can endure or deceive no Ananias or Saphira lie unto without their own undoing Lastly let us consider the estate which these Covenants do referre unto and our Tenure whereunto these services are annexed which is eternall life After we have had patience to keep our short Promises of doing Gods will he will performe his eternall promises of giving himself unto us And who would forfeit an inheritance for not payment of a small homage or quitrent reserved upon it If we expect eternall life from him there is great reason we should dedicate a mortall life unto him Let us not pay our service in drosse when we expect our wages in gold THE THIRD SERMON HOSEAH 14. VER 2.3 2. So will we render the calves of our lips 3. Ashur shall not save us we will not ride upon Horses neither will we say any more to the works of our hands ye are our Gods for in thee the fatherlesse findeth mercy HAving handled the generall doctrine of our entring into Covenant with God I shall now proceed unto the particulars which they here engage themselves unto whereof the first is a solemne Thanksgiving We will render the calves of our lips All the sacrifices of the Jewes were of two sorts Some were Ilasticall propitiatory or expiatory for pardon of sin or impetration of favour others were Eucharisticall sacrifices of praise as the peace-offerings Levit. 7.12 for mercies obtained Psal. 107.22 With relation unto these the Church here having prayed for forgivenesse of sin and for the obtaining of blessings doth hereupon for the farther enforcement of those petitions promise to offer the peace-offerings of praise not in the naked and empty ceremony but with the spirituall life and substance viz. the Calves of their lips which are moved by the inward principles of hearty sincerity and thanksgiving From hence we learn that sound conversion and repentance enlargeth the heart in thankfulnesse towards God and disposeth it to offer up the sacrifice of praise And this duty here promised cometh
healed all the diseases of his soul and redeemed his life from destruction or from hel as the Chaldee rendreth it and crowned him with loving kindnesse and tender mercies turning away his anger and revealing those mercies which are from everlasting in election unto everlasting in salvation removing his sins from him as far as the East is from the West then a man will call upon his soule over and over againe and summon every faculty within him invite every creature without him to blesse the Lord and to ingeminate praises unto his holy name Psal. 103.1.4.20.22 And as David there begins the Psalme with Blesse the Lord O my soul and ends it with blesse the Lord O my soul so the Apostle making mention of the like mercy of God unto him and of the exceeding abundant grace of Christ in setting forth him who was a blasphemer a persecutor and injurious as a patterne unto all that should beleeve on him unto eternall life begins this meditation with praises I thank Christ Iesus our Lord and ends it with praises unto the King eternall immortall invisible the onely wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen 1 Tim. 1.12.17 It is impossible that soule should be truly thankfull unto God which hath no apprehensions of him but as an enemie ready to call in or at the least to curse all those outward benefits which in that little interim and respite of time between the curse pronounced in the Law and executed in death he vouchsafeth to bestow And impenitent sinners can have no true notion of God but such And therefore all the verball thanks which such men seem to render unto God for blessings are but like the musick at a Funerall or the Trumpet before a Judge which gives no comfortable sound to the mourning wife or to the guilty prisoner III. Vt medium Impetrandi As an Argument and motive to prevail with God in prayer For the Church here Praies for pardon for grace for healing not onely with an eye to its own benefit but unto Gods honour Lord when thou hast heard and answered us then we shall glorifie thee Psa. 50.15 I shall praise thee saith David for then hast heard me and art become my salvation Psal. 118.21 It is true if God condemne us he will therein shew forth his owne glory 2 Thes. 1.9 as he did upon Pharaoh Rom 9.17 In which sence the strong and terrible ones are said to glorifie him Isay. 25.3 Because his power in their destruction is made the more conspicuous But we should not therein concurre unto the glorifying of him The grave cannot praise him they that goe downe into the pit cannot celebrate his name Ps. 30.9 88 10 11. The living the living they shall praise thee Isa. 38.19 This is a frequent argument with David whereby to prevail for mercy because else God would lose the praise which by this meanes he should render to his name Psal. 6.4.5.118.17 c. God indeede is All-sufficient to himself and no goodnes of ours can extend unto him Iob 22.2 35 7. Yet as Parents delight to use the labour of their children in things which are no way beneficiall unto themselves so God is pleased to use us as instruments for setting forth his glory though his glory stand in no neede of us though we cannot adde one Cubit thereunto He hath made all men in usuâ— profundarum cogitationum suarum unto the uses of his unsearchable Councells He hath made all things for himselfe yea even the wicked for the day of evill Prov. 16.4 Yet he is pleased to esteeme some men meete for uses which others are not 2 Tim. 2.21 and to set apart some for himselfe and for those uses Psal. 4.3 Isay. 43.21 God by his wisedome ordereth and draweth the blind and brute motions of the worst creatures unto his own honour as the huntsman doth the rage of the dog to his pleasure or the Marriner the blowing of the winde unto his voyage or the Artist the heate of the fire unto his worke or the Phisician the bloudthirstinesse of the Leech unto a cure But godly men are fitted to bring actually glory unto him to glorify him doingly 1 Cor. 10 3â— 31. Ephe. 1.11 12. And this is that which God chiefly takes pleasure in Our Saviour bids his disciples cast their net into the Sea and when they had drawn their net he bids them bring of the fish which they had then caught and yet we finde that there was a fire of coales and fish laid thereon and bread provided on the land before Iohn 21.6 9 10. Thereby teaching us that he did not use their industrie for any neede that he had of it but because he would honour them so far as to let them honour him with their obedience And therefore even then when God tells his people that he needed not their services yet he calls upon them for thanksgiving Psal. 50.9 14. This then is a strong argument to be used in praier for pardon for grace for any spirituall mercie Lord if I perish I shall not praise thee I shall not be meete for my Masters uses Thy glory will onely be forced out of me with blowes like fire out of a flint or water out of a rock But thou delightest to see thy poore Servants operate towards thy glory to see them not forced by power but by love to shew forth thy praises And this we shall never doe till sinne be pardoned God can bring light out of light as the light of the Starres out of the light of the Sun and he can bring light out of darkenes as he did at first but in the one case there is a meetnes for such an use in the other not Now we are not meete Subjects for God to reap honor from till sinne be pardoned till grace be conferred Then we shall give him the praise of his mercy in pittying such grievous sinners and the praise of his power and wisedome in healing such mortall diseases and the praise of his glorious and free grace in sending Salvation to those that did not inquire after it and the praise of his patience in forbearing us so long and waiting that he might be gracious and the praise of his wonderfull providence in causing all things to worke together for our good and the praise of his justice by taking part with him against our own sinnes and joyning with his grace to revenge the bloud of Christ upon them A potsheard is good enough to hold fire but nothing but a sound and pure vessell is meete to put wine or any rich depositumn into IV. Vt principium operandi As a principle of Emendation of life and of new Obedience Lord take away iniquity and receive us into favour then will we be thankfull unto thee and that shall produce amendment of life Ashur shall not save us neither will we ride upon horses c. A thankefull apprehension of the
seems to be expounded Psal. 103.3 and that which is called Healing in one place is called forgivenesse in another if we compare Mat. 13.15 with Mark 4.12 Secondly by a spirituall and effectuall Reformation purging the conscience from dead workes making it strong and able to serve God in new obedience for that which Health is to the body Holinesse is to the soul. Therefore the Sun of righteousnesse is said to aâ—ise with Healing in his wings Mal. 4.2 whereby we are to understand the gracious influence of the Holy Spirit conveying the vertue of the blood of Christ unto the conscience even as the beames of the Sunne doe the heat and influence thereof unto the earth thereby calling out the herbs and flowers and healing those deformities which winter had brought upon it Thirdly by removing and withdrawing of judgements which the sinnes of a people had brought like wounds or sicknesses upon them So Healing is opposed to smiting and wounding Deut. 32.39 Iob 5.18 Hos. 6.1 2. Ier. 33.5 6. Fourthly by comforting against the anguish and distresse which sinne is apt to bring upon the conscience For as in Physick there are Purgatives to cleanse away corrupt humours so there are Cordials likewise to strengthen refresh weak and dejected Patients and this is one of Christs principal workes to binde and heale the broken in heart to restore comforts unto mourners to set at liberty them that are bruised and to have mercy upon those whose bones are vexed Psal. 147 3. Isai. 57.18 19. Luke 4.18 Psal. 6.2 3. I am not willing to shut any of these out of the meaning of the Text. First because it is an answer to that rayer Take away All iniquity The All that is in it The Guilt the staine the power the punishment the anguish whatever evil it is apt to bring upon the conscience Let it not doe us any hurt at all Secondly because Gods works are perfect where he forgives sinne he removes it where he convinceth of righteousnesse unto pardon of sinne he convinceth also of judgement unto the casting out of the prince of this world and bringeth forth that judgement unto victory Matth. 12.20 Their Back-sliding Their praier was against All iniquity and God in his answer thereunto singleth out one kinde of iniquity but one of the greatest by name And that first to teach them and us when we pray against sinne not to content our selves with generalities but to bewaile our great and speciall sinnes by name those specially that have been most comprehensive and the Seminaries of many others Secondly to comfort them for if God pardon by name the greatest sinne then surely none of the rest will stand in the way of his mercy if he pardon the Talents we need not doubt but he will pardon the pence too Paul was guilty of many other sinnes but when he will magnifie the grace of Christ he makes mention of his great sinnes A blasphemer a persecutor injurious and comforts himselfe in the mercy which he had obtained against them 1 Tim. 1.13 Thirdly to intimate the great guilt of Apastacie and rebellion against God After we have known him and tasted of his mercy and given up our selves unto his service and come out of Egypt and Sodome then to looke back againe and to be false in his Covenant this God lookes on not as a single sinne but as a compound of all sinnes When a man turnes from God he doth as it were resume and take home upon his conscience All the sinnes of his life again Fourthly to proportion his answer to their repentance They confesse their Apostasie they had been in Covenant with God they confesse he was their first husband Hos. 2 7. and they forsooke him and sought to Horses to Men to Idols to vanitie and lies this is the sin they chiefly bewaile and therefore this is the sinne which God chiefly singles out to pardon and to heale them of This is the great goodnesse of God toward those that pray in sincerity that he fits his mercy ad Cardinem desiderii answers them in the maine of their desires lets it be unto them even as they will I will love them freely This is set downe as the fountaine of that Remission Sanctification and Comfort which is here promised It comes not from our Conversion unto God but from Gods free love and grace unto us And this is added first to Humble them that they should not ascribe any thing to themselves their Repentance their prayers their covenants and promises as if these had been the means to procure mercie for them or as if there were any objective grounds of lovelines in them to stirre up the love of God towards them It is not for their sake that he doth it but for his own The Lord sets his love upon them because he loved them Deut. 7.7 8. not for your sakes doe I this saith the Lord God be it known unto you Ezek. 36.22.32 He will have mercy because he will have mercy Rom. 9.15 Secondly To support them above the guilt of their greatest sinnes Men think nothing more easie while they live in sinne and are not affected with the weight and hainousnesse of it then to beleeve mercie and pardon But when the soule in conversion unto God feeles the heavie burden of some great sinnes when it considers its rebellion and Apostacie and backesliding from God It will then be very apt to think God will not forgive nor heale so great wickednesse as this There is a naturall Novatianisme in the timerous conscience of convinced sinners to doubt and question pardon for sinnes of Apostacie and falling after repentance Therefore in this case God takes a penitent off from the consideration of himself by his own thoughts unto the height and excellencie of his Thoughts who knowes how to pardon abundantly Isay. 55.7 8 9. Ier. 29.11 Ezek. 37.3 Nothing is too hard for love especially free-love that hath no foundation or inducement from without it self And because we reade before Hos. 8.5 That Gods Anger was kindled against them therefore he here adds that this also should be turned away from them Anger will consist with love we finde God Angrie with Moses and Aaron and Miriam and Asa and he doth sometimes visit with rodds and scourges where he doth not uâ—terly take away his loveing kindenesse from a people Psal. 89.32.33 A man may be angrie with his wife or childe or friend whom he yet dearly loveth And God is said to be thus Angry with his people when the effects of displeasure are discovered towards them Now upon their Repentance and Conversion God promiseth not onely to love them freely but to clear up his Countenance towards them to make them by the Removall of Judgements to see and know the ftuits of his free love and bounty unto them When David called Absolom home from banishment this was an effect of love but when he said let him not see my face this
prayers of his people as he did the seed of Isaac Gen. 26.12 with an hundred fold encrease As Gods word never returns empty unto him so the prayers of his servants never return empty unto them and usually the câ—op of prayer is greater then the seed out of which it grew as the putting in of a little water into a Pumpe makes way to the drawing out of a great deale more Isaac and Rebecca had lived twentie yeares together without any children and he grew now in yeares for he was forty yeares old before hee married hereupon he solemnly prayes to God in behalfe of his Wife because shee was barren and God gave him more then it is probable hee expected for hee gave him two Sonnes at a birth Gen. 25.21 22. As the cloud which riseth out of the earth many times in thinne and insensible vapours falleth downe in great and abundant showres so our prayers which ascend weak and narrow returne with a full and enlarged answer God deales in this point with his children as Ioseph did with his brethren in Egypt he did not only put corne into their Sacks but returned the money which they brought to purchase it Gen. 42.25 So he dealt with Solomon he did not onely give him wisdome and gifts of government which he asked but further gave him both riches and honour which he asked not 1 King 3.13 The people of Israel when they were distressed by the Ammonites besought the Lord for help he turnes backe their prayers and sends them to their Idols to help them they humble themselves and put away their Idols and pray againe and the highest pitch that their petitions mounted unto was Lord Wee have sinned doe unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee onely deliver us we pray thee this day Iudg. 10.15 and God did answer this prayer beyond the câ—â—tents of it hee did not onely deliver them from the Enemy and so save them but subdued the Enemy under them and delivered him into their hands he did not only give them the relief they desired but a glorious victory beyond their desires Iudg. 11.22 God deales with his servants ar the Prophet did with the woman of Shunem when he bid her ask what she needed and tell him what she would have him doe for the kindnesse she had done to him and she found not any thing to request at his hands he sends for her again and makes her a free promise of that which shee most wanted and desired and tells her that God would give her a sonne 2 Kings 4.16 So many times God is pleased to give his servants such things as they forget to ask or gives them the things which they aske in a fuller measure then their owne desires durst to propose them David in his troubles asked life of God and would have esteemed it a great mercy onely to have beene delivered from the feare of his Enemies and God doth not onely answer him according to the desire of his heart in that particular and above it too for he gave him length of dayes for ever and ever but further setled the Crowne upon his head and added honour and majesty unto his life Psal. 21.2 3 4 5. And the Reasons hereof are principally two 1 We beg of God according to the sense and knowledge which we have of our owne wants and according to the measure of that Love which we beare unto our selves The greater our love is to our selves the more active and importunate will our petitions be for such good things as we need But God answers prayers according to his knowledge of us and according to the Love which hee beareth unto us Now God knowes what things we want much better then we doe our selves and he loves our souls much better then we love them our selves and therefore he gives us more and better things then our own prayers know how to ask of him A little childe will beg none but trifles and meane things of his father because he hath not understanding to looke higher or to value things that are more excellent but his father knowing better what is good for him bestowes on him education traines him unto learning and vertue that he may be fit to manage and enjoy that inheritance which he provides for him so wee know not what to aske as we ought Rem 8.26 and when we do know our spirits are much straitned we have but a finite narrow love unto our selves But Gods knowledge is infinite and his love is infinite and according unto these are the distributions of his mercy Even the Apostle himselfe when he was in affliction and buffetted by the messenger of Satan and vexed with a thorn in his flesh besought the Lord for nothing but that it might depart from him but God had a farre better answer in store to the Apostles prayer and purposed to do more for him then he desired namely to give him a sufficiency of grace to support him and to magnify his strength in the infirmitie of his servant 2 Cor. 12.9 When the Prophet had encouraged men to seek the Lord and to turne unto him and that upon this assurance that he will not only heare petitions for mercy and forgivenesse but will multiply to pardon that is will pardon more sinnes then we can confesse for with him there is not only mercy but Plenteous redemption Psal. 130.7 he further strengthneth our faith and encourageth our obedience unto this duty by the consideration of the thoughts of God to wit his thoughts of love mercy and peace towards us My thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes saith the Lord for as the heavens are higher then the earth so are wâ— wayes higher then your wayes and my thoughts then your thoughts Esa. 55.7.8.9 He can pardon beyond our petitions because his thoughts of mercy towards us are beyond our apprehensions See the like place Ier. 29.10 11 12. 2 God answers prayers not alwayes with respect to the narrow compasse of our weak desires but with respect to his owne honour and to the declaration of his own greatnesse for he promiseth to beare us that wee may glorifie him Psalme 50.15 Therefore he is pleased to exceed our petitions and to do for us abundantly above what we ask or think that our hearts may be more abundantly enlarged and our mouthes wide opened in rendring honour unto him When Perillus a favorite of Alexander begged of him a portion for his daughters the King appointed that fifty Talents should be given unto him he answered that ten would be sufficient the King replied that tenne were enough for Perillus to ask but not enough for Alexander to grant So God is pleased many times to give more then we ask that we may look upon it not only as an Act of mercy but as an act of honour and to teach us in all our prayers to move God as well by his glory as by his mercy So Moses